⋯ the Lebanese Armed Forces were then deployed along the blue line to stop any attempts of crossing into lebanese territory by the IDF.

This morning, a horrific car crash occurred on a road in Salim Salam, Beirut.

Syria: A 5-story residential building collapsed in Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, Aleppo, killing at least 10 people including a child.

An estimated 30 people are reportedly stuck under the debris, with first responders scrambling to rescue them.

Yesterday, a 12 year old boy was hit with a stray bullet in the back while playing a football match in Bir Hassan, Mount Lebanon. He was transported to AUB hospital, where he received surgery to remove it. It had landed 2 cm from his spine.

Fortunately, his condition is stable.

🔌 EDL announces works and fight against fraud

Lebanon's national electricity company, Électricité du Liban, reports that it will start offloading the two ships moored to Lebanon's coast in a couple of days. It awaits routine paperwork between the Central Bank and the Ministry of Energy.

They also announced that Al-Zahrani Power Plant will be renovated to maximise production, which will be done in 5-6 months.

Finally, the company announced that it will not supply areas where payments are not collected, citing that the costs of such supply are unacceptable.

⋯ Note:
EdL reports that 30% of its supply is lost in "non-technical ways", as in, mainly theft by small and large establishments, and that cable theft is a very grave issue facing them, citing that the costs of replacing copper cables has become unbearable.

Hezbollah issued a statement condemning the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden, and that "this step comes in the context of a series of disgraceful insults against Prophet Muhammed (SAW), and Islamic symbols and sanctities", calling on Islamic governments to denounce this act.

In the lastest chapter in this appalling story of traitors, 2-year Hezbullah trainee Hassan A. provided the Israelis with the names and numbers of his colleagues, and gave intel on what he claimed were missile storehouses, for the mere price of $15,000.

al-akhbar.com/Politics/35…

IDF Command issued a statement blaming Hezbollah for the friction between them and the LAF, saying that their engineering work on the border is caused by Hezbollah building sites (trees?) under the name of "Green without Borders".

The Lebanese Armed Forces have stopped, once again, an attempt by the IDF to breach the blue line and attempt construction work in the same area of Wadi Hunin.

Lebanese watchtower emerges on the border that IDF is fortifying

Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot writes today that “20 observation and guard posts” attributed to Hezbullah have been built along the border, illustrating the news with this photo.

“A few days ago, we saw a large truck unloading the top part of the watchtower”, said Ori Eliyahu–a resident of Moshav Shtula–who considers it is “a miserable response to the work Israel is conducting”.

As reported, it happened “at the same time as Israel began building a fortified perimeter fence” along the 140-km border. IDF promised that “all towers will be razed” in case of escalation.

The Lebanese army announces to have moved barbed wire belonging to the IDF past the Blue Line, after it was installed around a meter inside Lebanese territory.

Joint war exercise started in Israel until Friday

US & Israel launched today “massive” air, naval & land military drills, to “send a message” to Iran & its allies.

The joint exercise involves 6,400 U.S. and 1,100 Israeli personnel, over 140 aircraft, 100 of which are American (B-52 bombers, F-35, F-15, F-16 & F/A-18 jets, helicopters, MQ-9 drones), 12 naval vessels, including a US aircraft carrier strike group, and artillery systems (notably HIMARS and MLRS). They will practice, in technical terms, C&C, EW, SEAD, CSAR, among other things.

Dubbed Juniper Oak 2023, it is their “most significant” drill to date.

www.timesofisrael.com/isr…

After nearly a year, Minister of Industry George Boshkian issued Circular No. 3/1, which bans the use of the toxic dye Rhodamine B in the manufacture of turnip pickles.

The US holds Iraq hostage with the dollar

Since 2003, Iraq is required to send all its oil revenues to a single US bank account. Washington is now weaponizing Baghdad's own dollars against Iraq, by devaluing its currency and hindering payments. By Zaher Mousa

Why is Egypt’s Navy commanding a NATO-led coalition in the Red Sea?

On 12 December 2022, the Egyptian Navy took over command of the newly established Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) from the US Navy.

Egypt’s command of CTF 153 in the Red Sea represents a new political positioning for Cairo, raising concerns about potential conflicts with Iran, direct Egyptian involvement in the Yemeni war, and possible tensions with Russia and China.